


Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder

by themultifandomnerd



Category: Free!, Free! Iwatobi Swim Club - Fandom
Genre: Anti!Tattoos Rei, Butterfly Boyfriends, Developing Relationship, F/M, Flower Culture, Flowers, Haru isn't the best friend to complain to, M/M, Multi, Rarepair shipping, Tattoo Artist!Rin, Tattoo Artist!Sousuke, Tattoo Culture, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-03-21 17:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3700739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themultifandomnerd/pseuds/themultifandomnerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei loved flowers. Big, small, extravagant, or simple – they were always beautiful. An art form that had no appeal for him, however, were tattoos. So when he came in early one day to open up his family’s flower shop and saw the sign, Samezuka Tattoos, he just about had an aneurysm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. God's Idea of a Joke

**Author's Note:**

> A Flower shop across the street from a Tattoo shop AU for a friend on tumblr.

Rei loved flowers.

Big, small, extravagant, or simple – they were always beautiful. And as a man of finer tastes, Rei always had an appreciation, for what he considered, the finer things in life.

Like pretty dresses.

Foam art on coffee.

And there was also the beauty of sports, like track and swimming.

They were all forms of art in his eyes. But an art form that had no appeal in Rei’s eyes, however, were tattoos. He didn’t get why some people enjoyed riddling their skin with funky, often weird, pictures.

It made no sense.

So when Rei came in early to open his family’s flower shop that day and saw a sign that read, Samezuka Tattoos, across the street, he just about had an aneurysm.

“What is this?!”

Riku Ryugazaki shot his brother a lazy, apathetic look of irritation. It was too early in the morning to hear Rei’s pterodactyl screeching. “I’m looking over inventory again.” He waved the clipboard in his hand before staring back at the plants in the ‘Fridge’, as the two of them often called it.

“Not that.” Rei shot his brother a ‘C’mon be serious’ look before pulling him to the front of the shop, his arms making a grand gesture at the major problem before them. “That!”

Riku blinked, unimpressed. “Rei, I need to see haw many daffodils we still have in stock.” Then with a flick on the tip of the shorter blunette’s nose, the elder made his way back to where he was previously. “It’s not that big a deal.”

Rei gasped in horror. “Having such a mistake near all these flowers, ” He looked back at the looming tattoo parlour with a glare and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “It’s a disgrace to all things beautiful!” In frustration, he clenched his fists.

Rei’s mother, Hiyoko, appeared around the corner with a look of concern. “What’s wrong, Rei?”

“The tattoo shop across the street happened.” Riku answered before Rei had the chance.

With a noise of pleasant surprise, the Ryugazaki matriarch smiled. “Oh, it’s finally open?” She gave a small clap of enjoyment after turning around to look at it. “Well, it’s not ready for business  _yet_ , but it probably will be sometime this week or next week. They must have done all the finishing touches last night.”

“Wait you all knew about this?” Rei gaped.

Hiyoko nodded in confirmation, “I thought you already knew, sweetie.”

Her assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. From the shark-like design that served as the shop’s door, Rei thought it was a pet store that specialized in selling fish. The building, er studio, was medium-sized, about the size of the flower shop. It was dark in colouring, Rei figured it was to make any fish tanks on display seem more vibrant at night.

Rei had been excited.

Fish were beautiful. Well, most of them were.

But that excitement had completely deflated with this revelation.

Rei’s father, Yuu, clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Oh cheer up scamp.” The middle-aged man grinned.

The blunette’s violet eyes averted their gaze, “But it’s not beautiful.” Permanent art was different with a living canvas. Every mistake, every screw up, was on that person’s skin forever. The thought of that happening to him nearly made Rei cringe.

“Never mind your personal preferences. You’ll treat the owner with respect, understand?” Hiyoko’s tone left no room for an argument, and reluctantly, Rei nodded. “Good. Now Riku, did you double check-”

“Yes ma’am.” Riku walked over and placed the clipboard in his mother’s hands. “Everything is accounted for and we should be getting that new shipment of carnations next week.” Hiyoko gave a pleased smile.

Life in the Ryugazaki Flower Shop was starting to bloom (pun somewhat intended).

Riku ruffled Rei’s hair, “Come on, little brother. Time to make some arrangements.” That made Rei feel a little better. At least that accursed shop wouldn’t open for a few days from the looks of it, so that meant a few days of beautiful peace.

“Alright.”

Tying his butterfly print apron around his body, Rei set off to work. Making arrangements was Rei’s favourite activity in the shop. There was nothing like the thrill of making a fragrant focal point with equally fragrant accents beautiful and turning it into a customer’s dream. His lips spread into a smile as he grabbed a large vase and when he got back to his and Riku’s joint workspace, there were ferns, ivy, baby’s breath, tulips, daisies, lilies, and gladioluses. “Do you want me to get a vase for you too?”

Riku nodded gratefully, “Yeah, thanks. I’ll get the plant food.” 

Despite the questioning, this had become more of routine habit for two of them ever since they were trusted with the floral knives to cut stems. Rei got the vases and filled them with water, Riku got the plants for the day and plant food, Hiyoko usually managed the phone and big orders, and Yuu mainly did the deliveries.

Even if it was just another way Hiyoko got her family to spend time with one another, Rei loved it here.

The smells were pleasant and the atmosphere was warm, even when it got the occasional chill froma  high maintenance customer.

“Aaaand, we’re open!” Rei’s father announced proudly.

“But we might as well be closed, we’ve hardly been getting any customers lately.” Riku complained, trying to decide which colour tulip would go best with the white gladioluses he chose.

Hiyoko chuckled, “Just wait till dance season comes. The time for corsages, bouquets, and whatnot. You’ll wish for more calm days.” Funnily enough, dance season was right around the corner.

Rei smiled ambitiously, “I want to do an arrangement for a wedding one day.” He had yet to do one.

Yuu made a face, “No you don’t son,” he shuddered from a memory. “I’ve dealt with one too many bridezillas in the past, specifically your Aunt Atsuko. Warm child my behind.”

“Dear!” Hiyoko gave Yuu’s arm a light, playful slap. “Not in front of the boys!”

“She’s their least favourite Aunt anyway, ow!”

Rei and Riku laughed at the scene before them. Aunt Atsuko was, for a lack of a better word, a bridezilla in and out of weddings. Everything, from her seasonings to her sticky notes, had to be meticulously organized or there would be a need for funeral arrangements for everyone within a five mile radius.

 _And finished!_  Rei placed his hands on his hips proudly.  _Three stargazer lilies with five accompanying gladiolus flowers in the back, ferns and ivy with a few brunches of baby’s breath filling the holes. The degrees and angles they are all set at don’t clash… Perfect!_  “This might possibly be my most beautiful piece!”

“You say that about every piece you make, Rei.” Riku teased. He was just finishing up his own arrangement. White gladioluses, pink tulips.

“But it’s feels wrong to not say that about each one.” Rei replied and he placed the arrangement on a display column. It felt like saying one of your friends was better than the other. It didn’t settle with him right.

Their mother gave a huff of amusement, watching her boys. “Rei gets that from me. I used to talk to the flowers here all the time when I was pregnant with him, maybe that’s the reason.”

It probably explained Rei’s sense of beauty as well, but no one was going to say anything.

Rei grabbed another vase and Riku, blinked. “Oh yeah, Dad,” Riku called over his shoulder. “The Konami Delivery is today right?”

After hearing his name being called, the male walked back into the flower shop from the backdoor. “Yup,” he was looking over the map for his routes. He wasn’t much of a believer in the GPS system. “But that’s one pretty close by so I could probably just walk there… But the walk back will clash with my 1:30 and 2:00 deliveries time-wise.”  He looked over at his wife, “Yoko, do you have any plans for today?”

“I still need to finish up the puppy arrangements for today.” Hiyoko answered thoughtfully. “But I’m sure if I get the first ten done, I’ll be able to finish the other ten when I get back in time before Yoshimura-san gets here.” Yoshimura was the neighbourhood dog lover, who worked over at the pound. He was a regular here.

“I can do it.” Rei cut in. 

Yuu and Hiyoko looked in his direction, “Really?”

Rei nodded, “Riku-nii-san, did the last walk-in delivery, so I can do this one.” With a smile of reassurance, Rei pushed up his glasses. “I’ll just need the directions and coordinates–”

“Oookay, dear.” Hiyoko sweatdropped. Where Rei got his need to calculate everything, she had no clue.

“So what time must I leave at?” Rei asked, walking over to his dad.

“One.”

Then after making several more arrangements with his brother and contemplating whether or not he’d be seeing his childhood friend, Haruka that day, the time for Rei to leave finally arrived.

Rei readjusted his grip on the giant delivery for the third time in a row. It was a ‘birthday cake’ made entirely of orange and yellow daisies. “I’m off!” He called over his shoulder, to his surprise, Riku was already outside of the door.

“Be safe out there, Rei.” Riku said warily. “Don’t talk to strangers, and make sure you look both ways before crossing the streets.”

“What am I a child?” Rei sweatdropped.

Riku fake sniffled and shoved his face into his hands. “My baby is growing up and finally going into the big, cold world!”

Rei rolled his eyes but he couldn’t help but laugh anyway. “I’ll make sure to visit.” He took a step forward, but he stopped. “Oh, and make sure that Mother doesn’t forget about the food in the oven.” Well mini-oven, mircrowave thing.

“Oh, I’m already on it.” With their mother’s clumsy tendencies she usually burnt or straight up ruined meals. But the meals she didn’t mess up were quite good, so the Ryugazaki males of the house made it a tendency to watch over their dinner like hawks when it was her night to cook. “Today’s my night in the kitchen. I’m making stew tonight.”

With a sound of acknowledgement, Rei started his walking again feeling decent for the day, but after unintentionally looking over at Samezuka Tattoos, he felt drained.

At the very least this gave him thirty minutes away from that atrocity.

And, Rei noted, the warm tones of the flowers seemed to be telling him to cheer up. At least he hoped so, he couldn’t remember the specific meanings behind yellow and orange daisies.

It was nice.

Flowers were nicer company in comparison to humans on occasions.

 ‘They don’t talk, but they still have voices’, his mother once told him. He hadn’t really understood that until he experienced teasing from his fellow classmates back in elementary and middle school. 

Rei had got up to the second light when he readjusted his hands again. He was getting closer to his destination at last, he realized with a smile.

A cherry blossom passed through the corner of his eye and Rei looked up, his smile growing. In a few months, the cherry blossoms would be in full bloom. The Hanami Festival was his favourite holiday. He couldn’t wait to see it once more.

“’Scuse me!”

Rei fell out his stupor just in time to see the jogger running towards him, and with a start, clumsily moved one side of the sidewalk. “Woah!” A pair of large hands under the arrangement steadied him from falling and dropping anything. 

The bespeculated boy released a sigh of relief as he saw the daisies made it unscathed. “Thank goodness,” with a small gulp, Rei looked up to see his helper. “Thank you…” Rei was speechless.

This boy was gorgeous!

He had semi-long maroon colored hair and a vibrant pair of red eyes. “It’s no problem.” Rei held his breath as the boy’s moving lips revealed two rows of shark-like teeth. “You think you can hold this on your own now?” He had on a track suit, his sleeves still rolled down despite how warm it must have been gaining all that heat from moving around.

“Oh! Yes!” Rei flushed in embarrassment and fixed his grip once again. “Sorry for disturbing your run.”

The boy just shrugged dismissively. “It’s fine.” He looked down at the floral cake with a whistle. “Is this a delivery or…?”

“Oh, it’s a delivery.” With another start, Rei remembered he was running on a limited time. “Er, I still need to deliver it actually.”

Jog Man, as Rei was now going to label him, was nonchalant. “Alright, you don’t mind the company do you? I don’t get to see flower boys too often.” He was grinning teasingly.

At first, Rei thought he was being made fun of, but after seeing the lack of ill will in those red eyes he nodded and made their way to the other sidewalk. “Thank you again for helping me.”

“I don’t mind.” The maroon-haired individual replied. “Hey, I think I’ve seen you before.” Rei looked at him in surprise. “Do you work at that flower shop across from Samezukas?” He leaned in closer, well as close as it could be exceptionally allowed between strangers.

“Er, yes. Ryugazaki Flowers.”  _He mentioned the tattoo shop. Does that mean everyone else is only going to recognize us because we’re right by it?_  He felt more disdain for the parlour.

Jog Man brought Rei out of his thoughts. “Something wrong?”

Rei shook his hands, “No, I’m,” he averted his gaze. “Just not that fond of tattoos.”

“Oh.”

Thankfully, the jogging stranger didn’t ask anymore questions on the subject. The only people that usually agreed with Rei’s opinion of tattoos were close-minded elderly people, not young adults radically changing the world. Especially not beautiful strangers with red eyes and shark-like teeth.

“So…” Jog Man started up again awkwardly, “You can make flower arrangements into cakes, huh?”

“Yes, and just about anything if you have the time and creativity for it.” Rei said excitedly. “Like puppies, pin wheels, a portrait.”

Jog Man chuckled, “Well I guess I’ll have to stop by and look at your shop then.”

Rei smiled, “Please do.” 

They chatted off-and-on the entire time, and when Rei finally reached his destination the near permanent smile on his face sank. Sure he made the delivery in time, but that meant that his time with this beautiful man was over. “Well, it was very nice talking to you.” He bowed as politely as he could with a large cake shape flower arrangement in his hands.

“Yeah, to you too.” Jog Man gave a smile of his own. “I’ll see you around then.” And with a two-fingered wave, the maroon-haired boy left and Rei looked on at his back for as long as he could before tapping on the door with his foot in a makeshift knocking motion.

He doubted he’d actually ever see Jog Man again.

That would be too coincidental, and even if they were to cross paths again it would be months from now for a special occasion, like flowers for his girlfriend. Sure there was no guarantee on Jog Man’s preference on potential partner’s, but with his luck, Rei figured he’d be taken nonetheless. 

Rei sighed, but perked up when he heard the locks turning on the other side of the door. “I’m here with your floral cake delivery, ma’am!”

But the moment was nice while it lasted.

[;`;]

“Rei, Mom wants you.”

Rei turned off the water hose and pulled a handkerchief out his pockets to dry them. “Coming.”

It had been a week since his clumsy encounter with the maroon-haired boy he called Jog Man and, as Rei expected, he hadn’t seen hair of him since. Funny enough, Rei still felt disappointed. Then to add on to his list of issues, Samezuka Tattoos had officially opened the previous day.

Now he had the ‘pleasure’ of seeing pictures in its windows, one of people wearing tattoos for advertisement. 

Peachy.

“Is something wrong, Mom?”

Hiyoko shook her head, “No, I just want you to do me a favour. I’m a little behind on this bouquet and Riku’s already helping me so I was wondering if you could do it.”

Rei didn’t see anything wrong with that, “Is it another delivery?” But once again, Hiyoko shook her head and she entered the pantry in the back of the shop. When she came out, she had a small box in her hand.

“Well, it sort of is,” She gave a warm smile. “Do you think you could give this to the fellows at that new tattoo shop? I wanted to give them some Ryugazaki hospitality.”

“Eh?” Rei felt his jaw drop. “Eeeeh?!”

The Ryugazaki woman held up Rei’s hands and placed the purple box in them. “Since you promised to be well-mannered with who ever opened up that shop, I figured that you could start by giving the owners these cookies.” From behind them, Rei swore he heard an amused sound of prevented laughter coming from Riku.

“B-but, what about Dad?”

“Now, now, you promised.” Hiyoko reminded sternly. “And your father isn’t here right now, he had an errand. So please be a dear and do this for your mother, I meant to do it earlier but, this is a really important bouquet.” Actually, every bouquet was important in Hiyoko’s eyes but Rei figured now wasn’t the best time to point that out.

With his head hungover in defeat, Rei sighed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Make new friends little brother.”  Riku snickered and Rei glared over at him briefly before taking a slow sum of steps out the door.

He really didn’t want to do this.

The neon red ‘OPEN’ felt like it was mocking him. Daring him even. Or it might have been the shark-head design of the door.

Rei wasn’t sure how, but he felt like he was somewhere in the right direction with it. But having a stare down with the door seemed like the most illogical thing to do, from his and everyone else’s perspectives.

So with a deep breath, Rei opened the door. “Er, hello?” He called out to the empty parlour. It would probably take a while for the customers to come flocking in he supposed. “Hello!” Were they on break and just forgot to turn off the sign? He really wanted them to be on break.

“Yeah, I’m coming!” Came a voice from the back, it was muffled.

Another sigh escaped Rei’s lips, his discomfort getting to him. That was when he noticed the other figure in the room and jumped in surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were here um…” The other person was a male, and he was very tall, with droopy teal eyes and dark brown hair. He was very intimidating.

“Are you the owner?” Rei asked at last.

The man gave a slight head movement, a nod(?), “Co-owner.” He gave Rei an up-down look over. “You want a tattoo or something?” 

“Hey, hey, Sousuke!” Came the voice from the backroom now sounding much more clearer now that it was out in the open. And much more familiar. “You aren’t scaring the customers are you?”

 _It couldn’t be._  Rei’s eyes widened and he turned around.

It was; and without a track suit, revealing long tan arms decorated with long, bold tattoos. “Jog Man-san?”

‘Jog Man’ blinked in surprise, but he broke out into a grin. “Flower Boy!”

Rei wasn’t one to believe in things that were hard to prove, but he was quite sure this is what one would call God’s horrible idea of a joke.


	2. Rin Matsuoka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, guys! Writer's block with this story had been punching me in the face repeatedly for the last few months. I also couldn't type to save my life today, so I apologize for every single typo in advance. Read and Review!

When Rei re-entered his family’s shop, he felt flustered.

Not only was he embarrassed, but he was very confused.

All this time he had yearned to once again see the attractive and interesting jogger he had met a week ago on one of his deliveries, but this wasn’t the way he had imagined their reunion.

To be honest, Rei wasn’t even sure how he had pictured it.

Maybe once again on a delivery run (too fairy tale) or maybe they would make an encounter at a park during the Hanami Festival (even more of a fairy tale).

But to see him again at a tattoo shop and to discover that he was one of the owners of said tattoo shop?

That was a never a factory in the long list of possibilities Rei had came up with, and he had calculated just about any plausible or no.

And the way the encounter came up, seemed the most surreal out of anything he came up with.

“Er, I’ve returned.” Rei said at last as he finally calmed his breathing. He had tried his hardest to return home without looking as if he were running while trying to do so.

Yuu was the one to say something first, coming inside the shop from the back door “Welcome back, son.” Considering his good mood, Rei was pretty sure that the deliveries had went well. 

“You too, Dad.” Rei replied. He straightened out his collar and looked back at Samezuka, but he looked forward once again. Looking in the direction of where he just came from was the last thing on his mind, regardless of how tempting it was.

Yuu put down his map, “Your mother told me about the little job she put you on.” There was a mischievous grin about the older man’s face, and Rei wanted it to go away. “Did you make any new friends?”

Rei narrowed his eyes and looked away. It went against his policy to be respectful to all those older than him, but it was better to be silent than to accidentally snap at his parents when they hadn’t did anything intentionally wrong. 

“I’m sure you’ll hardly encounter them at all, Rei, so it’ll be okay.” Yuu said, sounding as if he made his own decision. His blue eyes reflected with concern, but he didn’t add anything to his sentence.

The youngest Ryugazaki still didn’t say anything, but made a gesture that could’ve meant anything from ‘okay’ to ‘I don’t mind’.

But he hoped his father was right.

He didn’t want to see anyone from that shop for a long while. “Where’s Mom and Riku-niisan?” He finally realized that he hadn’t heard a word from them after he got back. The work table had been cleared of everything and cleaned up, except for the permanent green stain from the constant plant juices on it.

“They took the truck the moment I got back.” Yuu answered. “That was a pretty big arrangement so the more hands the better. So I’m here manning the deck.” He patted the phone playfully.

“Oh.” Rei looked around wondering what he could do for the moment. “Are there any more orders for today?”

Yuu shook his head, “Not really.” He set his map down. “I’m just lookin’ over a few minor things is all. But how about some new display arrangements? We got those new carnations, after all.”

That sounded like a good idea.

“I would really like to do that.”

“Just don’t touch the pink ones,yet,” Yuu warned, his voice riddled with humour. “You’re Mom will have a fit.”

[’;’]

“So it isn’t a fish shop?”

Rei felt one his eyes twitch at his friend’s deadpanned response. “Haruka-san,” Rei started, voice strained. “Is that honestly the only thing you actually listened to through out my entire complaint?”

Haruka blinked; and in the extensive knowledge Rei picked up on during their years of friendship, he pretty much knew what the answer was. “Yeah.”

Rei held back a screech of indignation. What else could he expect from someone as apathetic as Haruka?

They met in their first and second years of middle school, Rei in his first, and Haruka in his second. Rei had joined the Gardening Club and was in the middle of watering the plants, one of the many jobs he had, with a water hose when a strange black-haired second year had requested being hosed at.

Rei said no of course, but the mysterious boy didn’t listen and ended up taking the hose and spraying himself.

 _“This school has no pool, so this’ll do.”_  The boy had said.

Then he proceeded to strip down to the conveniently worn swim suit under his pants and a young Rei flusteredly had to convince the boy to put on his clothes as the other members of Gardening Club watched on with disturbed and amused expressions. That was the first time Rei brought his pterodactyl screech into existence.

It was the start to an unlikely friendship and Haruka had stuck by his side since.

Or maybe it was the other way around, Rei wasn’t sure. But he was sure of the fact that despite Haruka’s quirks it would be strange living without their interactions. Though occasionally they were tiresome– usually one didn’t have to practically act like Batman on call when it came to keeping their friends from stripping in public to swim in water fountains; but Rei digressed.

Haruka had many redeeming factors, and helping out at the shop was one of them.

Which was why at the moment, Haruka was helping Rei de-thorn a fresh shipment of roses. Which was also why Rei figured now would be a great time to relay the events of what happened the previous week.

“So it isn’t a fish shop?” Haruka repeated.

Rei sighed, “No, it isn’t a fish shop.” He laid a new thornless rose on the table and reached for another that had yet to lose their own. “It’s a tattoo shop.”

“Ah,” Haruka replied. “So you’ve met the owners yet?”

At the sound of that question, Rei stopped what he was doing and fell into his thoughts. He had met the owners of that shop all right.

_“Jog Man-san?”  
_

_“Flower boy!” The maroon-haired man grinned, pleasantly surprised. “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you anytime soon.”  
_

_Rei wasn’t paying attention though. He was too focused on the amount of tattoos– no, he was too focused on the fact this man_ had  _any tattoos. On the man’s right arm, there was the head of a shark breaching out of the water, the water splashed about rapidly, and the kanji for shark lied in between it. Then on the left, was a long dark brown line -a branch?-, and it curled down to the forearm and there were occasional sprouts of cherry blossoms. There were also petals, drawn in the manner of soft falling, with a few whole blossoms falling as well._

_Subconsciously, Rei’s grip on the box of cookies tightened._

_Jog Man eventually noticed Rei’s staring, “Oh, right.” He looked at it himself. “These were made by Sousuke, the guy over there.”_

_Rei snapped out of it and turned diagonally in order to face both of them. “Er, hello.” He bowed halfway, his voice soft._

_The mysterious jogger that Rei found to be very attractive was the owner of this shop? And he had tattoos?_

_“So what brings you here?” Jog Man shoved his hands into his pockets, bending a knee in order to stand in a slouching position. “I never thought I’d ever see you come in here since you said you weren’t all that fond of tattoos.” Ah, so he remembered the conversation they had.  
_

_“Er, well.” Rei averted his gaze feeling even more awkward as he felt eyes burning in the back of his head. “My mother wanted me to deliver these to you both, a hospitality offer, if you will.” Rei shoved his the purple box forward, hoping one of them would grab it.  
_

_Sousuke was the one that did._

_“What are these?” He asked, shaking the box lightly causing Rei to flinch inwardly.  
_

_He hoped there wasn’t a crack in any of the cookies he mother worked hard on._

_“Cookies.”  
_

_Jog Man smirked, Rei hated it and loved it at the same time. “I didn’t know you were a baker as well as a florist, Flower boy.”_

_Rei fought down a flush, “Please don’t refer to me as that.” It was embarrassing. But maybe he had it coming considering he did refer to the man as ‘Jog M-_

_“Mind telling me your name then?” Jog Man asked.  
_

_“Rei.” The blunette answered and he cursed himself for how fast he answered. “Rei Ryugazaki.”  
_

_“Rei, huh?” Jog Man held out a hand, “Well, I’m Rin Matsuoka.”_

Haruka’s voice cut off Rei’s flashback, not that there was much to remember in all honesty. “Rei.”

Rei jumped slightly, pushing up his glasses. “Y-yes?”

“I asked if you met the owners already.”

Rei nodded and moved onto the next rose. “Yes. Their names are Rin-san and Sousuke-san.”

Haruka blinked, then looked back down at the rose in his hand. “Ah.”

They didn’t say much afterwords and Rei was relieved. He was too out of it to want to continue on with it.

Rin Matsuoka was an anomaly.

Maybe not to the standard eye, but to Rei, he was. And a dangerous one with pointy teeth.

Not only was he attractive, but he had tattoos.

Large tattoos.

But what made the fact worse was not only did Rin have the tattoos, a fact that still made Rei feel extremely uncomfortable, but he looked good in them. In a way, it made him look even  _better_.

It was confuzzling.

How did one look attractive with tattoos?

How did tattoos make one look attractive?

Rei didn’t understand.

And he wasn’t sure he even wanted to.

_“I’m sure you’ll hardly encounter them at all, Rei, so it’ll be okay.”  
_

The boy remembered the words his father told him and his grip on his knife tightened. _I disregarded his art preference, I’m sure he won’t want to anyway._  

Then to add insult to injury, they were going to be in a close proximity to one another until one shop was gone.

Violet eyes looked back up and peeked at the shark-styled shop from across them. He could see Rin perfectly.

Rin was leaning across a counter, slouching lazily as he drew something. Rei was positive he was drawing something, probably a new tattoo design to add on to his display. The maroon-haired boy moved his hand around too much for it to be writing.

Rei could also see Sousuke. He was on the other side of the counter and looking at what Rin was doing. The two of them seemed close. Very close.

Rin chuckled at something.

Probably something Sousuke said.

Was Sousuke a funny person?

Rei’s grip tightened even further but he loosened it, calluses were  _not_ beautiful.

Neither was the closeness that Rin and Sousuke had with one another, yet Rei had no place to try and correct them.

Flowers and Tattoos; Tattooists and Florists.

They lived in two different worlds entirely.

There were boundaries, an invisible line that kept them apart. Rei knew that, appreciated that, respected that. He relished it, in fact. He never liked tattoos to begin with so that just made him enjoy staying on his side of the line even more.

But then there was Rin Matsuoka.

Someone who actually made him want to rethink his theory now that Rin had shown up with his… regrettably attractive arms, and face, and smirk, and hair, and his tattoos. 

And that made Rei want to teeter over that line, even just a little.

**Author's Note:**

> Time for my first ever RinRei piece to set sail! I hope you all enjoy the story and stay for the ride to see where this going. My friend on tumblr is pleased with the result and so am I. And I don't know why, but I just love the idea of a squeamish Rei when it comes to tattoos then bam, beautiful stranger Rin appears on the scene and he happens to be a freaking tattoo artist. 
> 
> Also, the names for the members of Rei's family are all made up faves.


End file.
